


The Greatest Love Story

by obsessedwithstabler



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Eventual Romance, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 03:11:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12644976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessedwithstabler/pseuds/obsessedwithstabler
Summary: We're going to be the greatest love story this town has ever seen.





	The Greatest Love Story

**Author's Note:**

> So I was driving home this afternoon and heard Lanco's Greatest Love Story. I'm obsessed with the song, and I've been in a Sabriel mood lately. So this little beauty popped out. Enjoy!

Gabriel Novak knew his best friend.

Ever since his family moved to Lawrence, Kansas, when Gabriel was just ten years old, he had found himself drawn to his shaggy haired neighbor across the street. Sam was five with big blue eyes and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Gabe had taken an immediate liking to him, even though his older brothers called him an annoying little baby.

They grew up together, experiencing life’s ups and downs along the way. Sam’s mom had died in a fire when he was just six months old and Sam had no memory of her. His big brother Dean had been four at the time and had a few hazy memories of her. Gabe and Sam bonded over never knowing their mothers. Gabriel’s own mother had died giving birth to him and he bore the brunt of his oldest brothers’ resentment. Their father, of course, had quickly remarried to provide his oldest sons with a mother, and it wasn’t long before Gabriel had a little brother. Castiel, as fate would have it, was quietly drawn to Sam’s brash, loud mouthed brother Dean. Gabe couldn’t help chuckling at the thought. Cas had been following Dean around for the last ten years, content just to be beside the sandy haired teen. Dean had turned his frustration with the world and channeled it into sports. According to Cas, he had been the team quarterback and colleges had been scouting him for the last two years. Dean surely had a bright future ahead of him.

His phone began to vibrate and he winced when he saw the message. Both Sam and Dean had bright futures, if their father didn’t destroy them.

_Gabe, meet me outside._

He sighed and shot back a response before grabbing his keys. Contrary to the plans he had for his life, he was still living at home, leaching off his family. He wasn’t completely certain why. Every time his old man pissed him off or his brothers fought, he thought about disappearing. But then he thought about Sam and that shot down all of his plans. No one even noticed when he headed outside and to his car. It was pretty late but it was Friday, so everyone was probably wrapped up in their own crap. Much like they were every day. He hopped into his car and tried to smile at Sam, who was already in his front seat. Sam had the extra set of his car keys and often this was what they did on Friday nights. But Sam didn’t look at him. He cleared his throat and shoved the keys into the ignition. “What’s up, Sammy?”

Sam sighed heavily and didn’t look at Gabe. “Sam…”

The younger teen sniffled and slowly turned his head, and rage rushed through Gabe when he saw Sam’s black eye and busted lip. “Sam, what the hell?”

He wiped at his cheeks with shaking hands. “Can we get out of here?” he whispered, turning his head back to the window. Gabriel didn’t reply. He simply threw the car into drive and peeled out of the driveway.

_They said I was nothing but a troublemaker_

_Never up to no good_

_You were the perfect, all-American boy_

_Wouldn’t touch me even if you could_

The moon was shining brightly overhead as Gabriel finally brought his car to a stop. Down by the river was one of Sam’s favorite places to be and right now the kid needed something good. He pushed his door open and joined Sam in the warm summer air. Sam surprised Gabe when he flung himself into the older boy’s arms, and instinctively Gabe held him tight. “What happened?” he murmured, absently rubbing Sam’s back.

Sam shuddered and balled the front of Gabe’s shirt in his fists. “My dad…”

Gabriel grunted. “Bastard.” He had never been fond of the great John Winchester. Dean was John’s golden boy, the quarterback with girls falling all over him and the world dangling from his fingertips. No doubt he had envisioned the same for Sam. Except Sam had plans for his life. He ran track and played baseball, but education was more important to him than sports. He could easily be a star athlete, but no. He wanted to go to college, and not on a baseball scholarship. He wanted to make great grades and be a doctor, or a lawyer.

“He caught me…”

That made Gabe pause. “Caught you what, kiddo?”

“Looking at…” Sam swallowed thickly and though Gabe couldn’t see his face, he knew he was blushing fiercely. “Porn.”

That confused him. “Porn.”

“Gay porn.”

A lightbulb went off in Gabe’s head. “Oh…”

“He called me a faggot. Dean tried to stop him and took a few hits, but he gave me a black eye and split my lip.”

Anger bubbled up again and Gabe led Sam down to the river. They both sat down in the damp sand and Sam leaned heavily against his best friend.

“He’s so stupid,” Sam muttered, running his tongue over his tender lip. “Dean won’t tell him about Cas until the fall, when they’re gone.”

“Dean’s far less brave than you,” Gabe quipped.

“I’m not brave-”

“Course you are. Brave and hot.”

Sam jerked his head up and winced. “You think I’m hot?”

“Have you seen yourself, Sammich? You’re gorgeous. You-”

His last words were cut off when Sam suddenly kissed him, and they both tumbled backward into the sand.

_But you were sneaking out your window every night_

_Riding shotgun in my car_

_We’d go to the river and find us a spot_

_And we probably went a little too far_

_Just a little too far_

That summer was a multitude of new experiences for them.

They weren’t exactly secretive about their relationship, and naturally Cas and Dean were the first ones to find out. But they were painfully careful around Sam and Dean’s father, who they all knew wasn’t above using physical force whenever he felt it necessary. And while it was the twenty-first century, they were still in a small town filled with closed minds.

Aside from that, Gabriel was the happiest he had been in ages. He had no plans of going to college, but he began thinking of all the things he could do with his life. He could open a bookstore, or go to California and be a surfer. Maybe he could go to the mountains, or work at a candyshop.

But at the back of his mind, there was always that niggling little voice reminding him that Sam was changing, too. He was focusing even more on his studies, if that was even possible, but he was also garnering the attention of the varsity baseball coaches. He hit a major growth sport that summer and shot well above six feet tall. He was lanky and fast, and there were countless girls hanging all over him.

Not that Gabriel could blame them. Sam was beautiful. And all his.

He hoped.

_I was gonna be your forever_

_You were gonna be my life_

_We didn’t know any better_

_Didn’t have a clue about life_

_But I was what you wanted, you were what I needed_

_And we’d meet in between_

_We were gonna be the greatest love story_

_This town had ever seen_

Sam’s senior year rolled around before any of them were ready for it.

They had spent the whole summer together because Gabe knew he would hardly see his boyfriend this year. Sam was already sending in college applications and had his heart set on Stanford. Gabe knew they would be fools not to snatch him up. Between schoolwork and baseball, Sam would be busy nonstop.

What neither of them expected was for Gabe to break up with him.

He supposed it happened gradually, that cruel little voice in the back of his head becoming louder and louder. Two years before he had gotten a job at a little bakery in town, to the chagrin of his father and brothers. Sure he still had his trust fund, and he could have flown the coop at any time, but the little bakery gave him a real sense of pride. And he felt himself and Sam drifting further and further apart.

He didn’t want to break up with Sam. Far from it. He loved his best friend, but Sam was staring down the barrel of college and it was only a matter of time. Sure things would start off fine. Sam would leave and come home on breaks. They would text all the time. But then they would miss a call, or Sam would meet someone else.

It was better this way.

That’s what he heard himself tell Sam just after Christmas. The devastation was clear in Sam’s beautiful eyes, and Gabe’s resolve nearly crumbled when Sam got into his car and sped away. It was for the best.

XXXX

Spring arrived and with it Sam’s high school graduation. Cas and Dean drove in to watch Sam walk across the stage, and Gabe was right there with them. He was still hurting over the breakup but there was no way he was going to miss Sam’s graduation.

That was the first summer they didn’t spend together. Sam found a place and left for California, and Gabe, completely alone, threw himself into work.

But it didn’t stop him from remembering Sam’s warm embrace.

_So you went off to college, and I got a job_

_I was working that nine to five_

_Dreaming of the days when you were in my arms_

_I never felt so alive_

He would spend his days at the bakery, learning and annoying his customers. In the evenings he would go down to the local bar, where everyone knew him by name and had his drink ready by the time he found his favorite seat.

Sam and Dean came home for Christmas that year, and when Gabe saw Sam he was breathless. Sam had filled out more, his hair was longer, and his eyes still sparkled.

They spent a couple of nights reminiscing and Sam regaled Gabe with tales of college and how different California was from Kansas.

That Christmas was also the Christmas Dean asked Cas to marry him. When Cas told Gabriel, he couldn’t help the little twinge of jealousy he felt toward his favorite brother. He knew it was his own damn fault for breaking up with Sam, but it had been the right thing to do.

He knew that.

It still did nothing to ease the misery of knowing his little brother had gotten his Winchester.

_I’d spend my days working, spend my nights drinking_

_Howling at the moon_

_Screaming for the days when you were coming back_

_No it couldn’t come too soon_

_Couldn’t come too soon_

Christmas break ended and Gabriel returned to his routine of working and drinking. It wasn’t long before he even moved into his own little crappy apartment just a block from the bakery. It smelled of Thai food and the water pressure was shit, but it was all his.

When spring came, Dean, Cas and Sam all came home for spring break. Gabe still tried to keep his distance but fate had other plans. He and Sam kept bumping into each other and they both blamed the fact that it was such a small town. They were bound to run into each other from time to time.

Cas and Dean had begun planning their wedding, since they were graduating at the beginning of May. Dean had been scouted by quite a few NFL teams but no papers had been signed yet. Gabe knew it was only a matter of time.

When their graduation rolled around, Gabe drove to their school to see the ceremony. Dean had passed, but Cas had earned half a dozen honors and Dean screamed his head off when Cas walked across the stage.

Their parents had not bothered to come, since Castiel planned to become a pediatric oncologist and not a surgeon. But Cas seemed perfectly content with Gabe in the stands, cheering him on.

Dean and Cas came back to Lawrence for the wedding. With the exception of John, most of their family was in Lawrence. Gabe and Sam were their best men and Gabe would never admit it but there were a few tears shed when Cas and Dean shared their first kiss as a married couple.

He also missed the way Sam looked at him, eyes full of longing.

_I was gonna be your forever_

_You were gonna be my life_

_But you went off to find better_

_And I was learning all about life_

_But I was what you wanted, you were what I needed_

_We could meet in between_

_We were gonna be the greatest love story_

_This town had ever seen_

Sam came back to Lawrence two weeks after his graduation. Gabe found out when he turned around behind the counter and came face to face with his best friend.

He nearly dropped the tray of fresh muffins he was carrying. “Sam!”

The younger man grinned, his eyes crinkling and full of mischief. “Hi, Gabe.”

He quickly set the tray of muffins down and came around the counter, until they were face to face and just a few inches apart. Instinctively he started to hug Sam, but thought better of it and kept his arms at his sides.

Sam had no such qualms, and a moment later Gabe was engulfed in a warm hug.

“Wow, kiddo. Miss me?” he teased, his voice slightly muffled.

“Just a bit.”

They broke apart and smiled at each other. Gabe glanced at his watch. “We close in two hours. How about you hang around, and when I close up we can get some drinks?”

“Drinks sound great.”

The door opened again, interrupting their little moment. Sam let Gabe go and sat down in a corner both, patiently waiting while Gabe tended to the customer.

Two hours later, Gabe flipped the open sign to closed and locked the door. Then he made quick work of tidying up and counting the drawers down while Sam nursed a cup of coffee.

Finally Gabe was ready and they slipped out of the bakery, to the bar down the street. One of Gabe’s friends was behind the bar and they had their drinks within just a minute of sitting down in a booth.

“Impressive,” Sam remarked teasingly.

Gabe shrugged and looked down into his drink.

Was this really happening?

_So you came back after a long four years_

_Your college boyfriend didn’t work out_

_So we went out for a couple of drinks_

_To find out who we are now_

Sam’s hand came to rest over Gabe’s, startling the older man. “Gabe, I know it’s been four years. But…”

Gabe fought back the hope welling in his chest. “But?”

He could barely get the word out before Sam leaned over the table and kissed him deeply.

The rest of the night was a blur of alcohol and desperate kisses. Somehow they made their way to Gabe’s crappy apartment, and when the sun arose the next morning, they were tangled together in Gabe’s bed.

Gabe awoke to his head pillowed on Sam’s chest and Sam’s soft, breathy snores in his ear.

There was no better way he could imagine waking up, and it only took a couple of weeks for him to realize he never wanted to wake up without Sam in his arms again. They had already lost too much time due to his stupid insecurities.

Two months after Sam’s graduation, they decided to go visit Cas and Dean. They had bought a beautiful house two hours from Lawrence and Dean’s football career was on fire. There was a lot to celebrate.

Dean and Cas decided to have a huge barbecue the day after their brothers arrived. It was a fun affair, with their neighbors visiting and Gabe mysteriously procuring a few water guns that he gleefully used on his boyfriend. By the time dinner was ready, they were both soaked and laughing, poking each other as they sat down to eat.

After dinner, without much fanfare (and because he couldn’t keep a secret to save his life), Gabe got down on one knee in front of Sam. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched, and Cas held his breath.

_Sure we had changed, but way deep down_

_You had the same old feelings for me_

_I went to the store and bought you a ring_

_And I got down on one knee_

_Down on one knee_

Gabe reached out and grabbed Sam’s hand, his voice trembling. “Sam, kiddo, you’ve always had a way with words. That’s not me. I’m a man of action. And I love you more than I love Snickers.”

Cas and Dean linked hands as Sam chuckled tearfully.

“I’ve wasted too much time avoiding the truth. You’re everything I’ve ever needed.” He looked up at Sam. “Marry me.”

Sam nodded shakily and tackled Gabe to the ground, causing both men to laugh as everyone else clapped lightly. Sam lowered his head and whispered into Gabe’s ear. “Love you.”

“Love you too, kiddo.” Gabe buried a hand in Sam’s thick hair. “Always have.”

Their lips met in a tender kiss and Gabe wrapped his arms around Sam, pulling him even closer.

_And I said, “I’m gonna be your forever_

_So baby will you be my life?_

_Now that we know a little better_

_We could have a real nice life_

_Cause I’m what you want and you’re what I need_

_So let’s meet in between_

_We’re gonna be the greatest love story_

_This town has ever seen.”_

“Alright you two, don’t make me get the hose,” Dean threatened, and Cas batted at his arm.

“They aren’t harming anything, Dean.”

“But he’s molesting my baby brother,” Dean whined, earning another light swat from his husband.

“I’m gonna do more than that, Deano!” Gabe shouted, and suddenly a spray of water hit him in the face.

Gabe pushed Sam off of himself and grabbed one of the water guns. “You’re going down, Winchester!”

“You’ll have to catch me first, midget!” taunted the older Winchester as he ducked behind a tree.

Sam rolled to his feet and padded over to his brother-in-law, who was wearing a bemused expression. “They’re going to kill each other.”

“Probably,” Cas drawled. “But we love them anyway.”

“I suppose we do.”

Gabe squirted Dean with the water gun and Dean barrelled toward the smaller Novak with a murderous look in his eyes.

Sam looked down at the ring on his finger and looked back at his fiance.

“Get him, Gabe!”

_We’re gonna be the greatest love story_

_This world has ever seen_

_So baby say yes to me_


End file.
